As good as new. Veterinary cardiologists from the Veterinary Referral Center in Malvern, who had reached out to Paoli Hospital’s Interventional Radiology Laboratory for help in saving a little Maltipoo’s life, came to visit along with their patient and his owner. In Photo, Caral Wright of Media holds Ziggy, from left, the Referral Center’s Dr. Dennis Burkett, Erika Fauth, Cardiology Nurse, Dr. Steven Cole; and Paoli Hospital’s Dr. Atul Gupta and physician assistant Joan Bennett, who made follow up calls to check on Ziggy’s progress.

Veterinarians reach out to Paoli Hospital when complications arise.

(PAOLI, PA July 2008) Caral Wright of Media wasn’t in the market for a dog, but couldn’t resist a classified ad for a three-month-old white Maltipoo. She named him Ziggy. Next thing she knew her little dog was undergoing life-saving surgery – with the help of Paoli Hospital’s Dr. Atul Gupta, medical director of the Interventional Radiology Lab. How was this possible?

It all started at Ziggy’s puppy checkup with Jennifer Johnson, VMD, of Stony Creek in Morton, Delaware County. Dr. Johnson suspected a heart problem and sent Ziggy to be examined by the cardiology specialists at the Veterinary Referral Center (VRC) in Malvern.

“Ziggy essentially had a hole in his heart,” explained Steven Cole, DVM, who along with Dennis Burkett, VMD, PhD, diagnosed the problem as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a rare congenital heart disease. They explained that the connection between the aorta and pulmonary artery should close at birth. This did not happen for Ziggy; and without surgery he would die.

Veterinary cardiologists repair a dog’s heart much like a human’s, by inserting a coil into the connection between the aorta and pulmonary artery. The coil remains in place, thereby permitting the blood to clot and ultimately seal-off the connection.

“Before the blood had a chance to clot and secure the coil it slipped and traveled down the aorta, lodging in the vessels leading toward Ziggy’s hind legs,” Dr. Cole recalled. “We knew we had a problem but we also knew we could fix it by retrieving the coil with a snare.”

The Veterinary Referral Center was in the midst of upgrading its interventional radiology laboratory, however, and in the activity surrounding the upgrade an appropriately sized snare could not be found. The veterinarians acted quickly to find a solution. They called their neighbors at Paoli Hospital and were put in touch with Dr. Gupta, who came to the rescue.

“The procedure being performed on Ziggy is similar to one of many advanced procedures we do on humans. I am often called for consultations, but imagine my surprise when I received a call for a consultation on a dog!” Dr. Gupta recalled, adding he and his staff were more than happy to help. While Ziggy remained under anesthesia, Dr. Burkett rushed to Paoli Hospital while Dr. Cole used a second coil to successfully close the ductus.

“We easily found several snares similar to what they needed and I gave Dr. Burkett a quick set of instructions to help them through the case – and the dog lived!” Dr. Gupta said, noting this was a wonderful opportunity for physician and veterinarians to begin a partnership in sharing of knowledge.

Meanwhile, Caral Wright was waiting and wondering what was taking so long. “Dr. Cole was so considerate and called to keep me informed. He told me there were complications but assured me Ziggy was going to be fine.”

The veterinarians were able to retrieve the coil and moved it to an area where it could be removed surgically the following day. “Four days after the surgery he was running around like nothing happened to him,” remembers Caral Wright. “I strongly believe I was meant to have this dog and save his life.”

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Media Contact:
Frieda Schmidt, Public Relations
610-526-8298

Published:7-29-2008